Vehicle vision system with bird&#39;s eye view display

ABSTRACT

A vehicular vision system includes a camera having a field of view exterior and rearward of the vehicle. The camera captures frames of image data as the vehicle moves forward or rearward. A control includes an image processor that processes multiple frames of captured image data. The control utilizes vehicle motion information and, responsive to processing of captured image data, utilizes software based algorithms to generate, for each frame of image data captured by said camera, a left side bird&#39;s eye view image portion, a right side bird&#39;s eye view image portion and rear bird&#39;s eye view image portion. The control combines left side image portions, right side image portions and rear image portion of multiple frames of captured image data to generate combined bird&#39;s eye view images for display at a display for viewing by the vehicle driver during a parking maneuver of the vehicle.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

The present application claims the filing benefits of U.S. provisionalapplication Ser. No. 62/571,450, filed Oct. 12, 2017, which is herebyincorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates generally to a vehicle vision system for avehicle and, more particularly, to a vehicle vision system that utilizesa rear backup camera disposed at the rear of a vehicle.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Use of imaging sensors in vehicle imaging systems is common and known.Examples of such known systems are described in U.S. Pat. Nos.5,949,331; 5,670,935 and/or 5,550,677, which are hereby incorporatedherein by reference in their entireties.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention provides a driver assistance system or visionsystem or imaging system for a vehicle that utilizes a rearward viewingcamera to capture multiple frames of image data representative of imagesexterior of the vehicle as the vehicle moves forward or rearward, andcombines captured image data to provide a bird's eye view image displayfor viewing by the driver of the vehicle when maneuvering the vehicleinto a parking space. The system utilizes vehicle motion informationand, responsive to image processing of image data captured by thecamera, utilizes software based algorithms to generate, for each frameof captured image data, a left side bird's eye view image portion, aright side bird's eye view image portion and rear bird's eye view imageportion. The system combines the left side, right side and rear bird'seye view image portions of multiple frames of captured image data togenerate combined bird's eye view images. The system displays thecombined bird's eye view images for viewing by a driver of the vehicleduring a parking maneuver of the vehicle.

These and other objects, advantages, purposes and features of thepresent invention will become apparent upon review of the followingspecification in conjunction with the drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a plan view of a vehicle with a vision system thatincorporates a rearward viewing camera in accordance with the presentinvention.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

A vehicle vision system and/or driver assist system and/or objectdetection system and/or alert system operates to capture image datarepresentative of the view or scene exterior of the vehicle and mayprocess the captured image data to display images and to detect objectsat or near the vehicle and in the predicted path of the vehicle, such asto assist a driver of the vehicle in maneuvering the vehicle in arearward direction. The vision system includes an image processor orimage processing system that is operable to receive image data from oneor more cameras and provide an output to a display device for displayingimages representative of the captured image data. The vision systemprovides display, such as a rearview display or a top down or bird's eyeor surround view display or the like.

Referring now to the drawings and the illustrative embodiments depictedtherein, a vehicle 10 includes an imaging system or vision system 12that includes at least one exterior viewing imaging sensor or camera,such as a rearward viewing imaging sensor or camera 14 (and the vehiclemay optionally include multiple exterior viewing imaging sensors orcameras, such as a forward viewing camera at the front (or at thewindshield) of the vehicle, and a sideward/rearward viewing camera atrespective sides of the vehicle), which captures images exterior of thevehicle, with the camera having a lens for focusing images at or onto animaging array or imaging plane or imager of the camera (FIG. 1).Optionally, a forward viewing camera may be disposed at the windshieldof the vehicle and view through the windshield and forward of thevehicle, such as for a machine vision system (such as for traffic signrecognition, headlamp control, pedestrian detection, collisionavoidance, lane marker detection and/or the like). The vision system 12includes a control or electronic control unit (ECU) or processor 18 thatis operable to process image data captured by the camera and may detectobjects or the like and/or provide displayed images at a display device16 for viewing by the driver of the vehicle (although shown in FIG. 1 asbeing part of or incorporated in or at an interior rearview mirrorassembly 20 of the vehicle, the control and/or the display device may bedisposed elsewhere at or in the vehicle). The data transfer or signalcommunication from the camera to the ECU may comprise any suitable dataor communication link, such as a vehicle network bus or the like of theequipped vehicle.

The system of the present invention comprises an electronic device forgenerating a video stream signal with content providing an image showinga bird's eye view of the surroundings of a vehicle utilizing only imagedata captured by the rear backup camera as input data. The electronicdevice records the video image data from the rear camera and processesit as historical video data content for recreating the side area viewcontent of the vehicle's surroundings at the left and right sides of thevehicle as the vehicle moves forward or rearward. The electronic deviceutilizes information about the motion of the vehicle provided by thevehicle (such as the speed and steering angle of the vehicle as may beprovided via a vehicle communication network or bus) and the imagecontent from the rear camera image data for creating the bird's eyeview.

The electronic device utilizes software based algorithms that generate aleft side bird's eye view image portion, a right side bird's eye viewimage portion and rear bird's eye view image portion based on the rawimage coming from the rear view camera. All three image view portionsmatch each other on a combined bird's eye view image without anyadditional image manipulation based on the combined bird's eye viewimage.

Thus, the system and device of the present invention does not stitch theimage data of multiple frames of captured image data based on a bird'seye view. The system combines the image data based on the single rawviews. The system does not perform image tweaking in the top view tohave it match and look seamless.

The three single image portions are generated in that way, that theymust match when being displayed all together. No pattern matchingalgorithms are utilized to stitch the three image portions seamlessly.Instead, the system generates images in an accurate manner, so that nopost manipulation of the bird's eye combined view will be necessary.This is accomplished by providing enhanced initial transformation of thethree single view portions.

As the vehicle moves, for example, rearward, while capturing image datavia the rear backup camera, the control combines the left image portionsover multiple frames of captured image data, and combines the rightimage portions over multiple frames of captured image data, and combinesthe rear image portions over multiple frames of captured image data. Thecombined left image portions provide, as the vehicle moves rearward, aview of the region to the left side of the vehicle, including regionsthat were in the field of view of the rear backup camera, but now arenot. Likewise, the combined right image portions provide, as the vehiclemoves rearward, a view of the region to the right side of the vehicle,including regions that were in the field of view of the rear backupcamera, but now are not. Thus, the system provides a top-down orbirds-eye view of the left and right side regions. When the vehicle istraveling in a straight line and at a constant speed, the raw image datamay be combined to generate the combined image views. As the vehicle isturned or as the speed changes, the control takes the speed data orinformation and the steering angle data or information into account toadapt the combining of the image portions so that the displayed combinedimages represent what is at that time the region along the respectiveside of the vehicle.

Thus, the vision system of the present invention captures multipleframes of image data with the rearward viewing camera as the vehiclemoves forward or rearward. The system or control utilizes vehicle motioninformation and, responsive to image processing of image data capturedby the camera, utilizes software based algorithms to generate, for eachframe of captured image data, a left side bird's eye view image portion,a right side bird's eye view image portion and rear bird's eye viewimage portion. The system utilizes vehicle motion information togenerate the image portions and to combine the respective portions togenerate a bird's eye view of the area surrounding the vehicle. Thesystem combines left side bird's eye view image portions of multipleframes of captured image data, right side bird's eye view image portionsof multiple frames of captured image data, and rear bird's eye viewimage portion of multiple frames of captured image data to generatecombined bird's eye view images. The system displays the combined bird'seye view images for viewing by a driver of the vehicle during a parkingmaneuver of the vehicle. For example, the system may capture image datavia the rearward viewing camera as the vehicle is driven forward past aparking space or forward into a parking space. The system generates andcombines the image portions of the frames of captured image data basedon the vehicle motion information, so that combined bird's eye viewimages can be displayed to the driver of the vehicle as the drivermaneuvers the vehicle toward and into the parking space.

The system may capture and store the image data and combined images, sothat, if the vehicle first drives forward past a parking space (whilethe camera is capturing image data and the control is processing thecaptured image data to generate the birds-eye view images), and thenreverses into the parking space (such as for a parallel parkingmaneuver), the control may display birds-eye view images based on theimage data captured during the forward travel of the vehicle while thevehicle is reversing into the parking space. The displayed images may beadjusted based on vehicle information or data, such as speed andsteering angle of the vehicle when the image data was first captured andthe current speed and steering angle of the vehicle as the vehicle isreversing into the parking space.

The system may utilize aspects of the parking assist systems describedin U.S. Pat. No. 8,874,317 and/or U.S. Publication Nos. US-2017-0329346;US-2017-0317748; US-2017-0253237; US-2017-0050672; US-2017-0017847;US-2017-0015312 and/or US-2015-0344028, which are hereby incorporatedherein by reference in their entireties.

The video display device may utilize aspects of the video displaysystems described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,530,240; 6,329,925; 7,855,755;7,626,749; 7,581,859; 7,446,650; 7,338,177; 7,274,501; 7,255,451;7,195,381; 7,184,190; 5,668,663; 5,724,187; 6,690,268; 7,370,983;7,329,013; 7,308,341; 7,289,037; 7,249,860; 7,004,593; 4,546,551;5,699,044; 4,953,305; 5,576,687; 5,632,092; 5,708,410; 5,737,226;5,802,727; 5,878,370; 6,087,953; 6,173,501; 6,222,460; 6,513,252 and/or6,642,851, and/or U.S. Publication Nos. US-2014-0022390;US-2012-0162427; US-2006-0050018 and/or US-2006-0061008, and/orInternational Publication Nos. WO 2010/099416; WO 2011/028686; WO2012/075250; WO 2013/019795; WO 2012/075250; WO 2012/145822; WO2013/081985; WO 2013/086249 and/or WO 2013/109869, which are all herebyincorporated herein by reference in their entireties.

The camera or sensor may comprise any suitable camera or sensor.Optionally, the camera may comprise a “smart camera” that includes theimaging sensor array and associated circuitry and image processingcircuitry and electrical connectors and the like as part of a cameramodule, such as by utilizing aspects of the vision systems described inInternational Publication Nos. WO 2013/081984 and/or WO 2013/081985,which are hereby incorporated herein by reference in their entireties.

The system includes an image processor operable to process image datacaptured by the camera or cameras, such as for detecting objects orother vehicles or pedestrians or the like in the field of view of one ormore of the cameras. For example, the image processor may comprise animage processing chip selected from the EYEQ™ family of image processingchips available from Mobileye Vision Technologies Ltd. of Jerusalem,Israel, and may include object detection software (such as the typesdescribed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 7,855,755; 7,720,580 and/or 7,038,577, whichare hereby incorporated herein by reference in their entireties), andmay analyze image data to detect vehicles and/or other objects.Responsive to such image processing, and when an object or other vehicleis detected, the system may generate an alert to the driver of thevehicle and/or may generate an overlay at the displayed image tohighlight or enhance display of the detected object or vehicle, in orderto enhance the driver's awareness of the detected object or vehicle orhazardous condition during a driving maneuver of the equipped vehicle.

The vehicle may include any type of sensor or sensors, such as imagingsensors or radar sensors or lidar sensors or ladar sensors or ultrasonicsensors or the like. The imaging sensor or camera may capture image datafor image processing and may comprise any suitable camera or sensingdevice, such as, for example, a two dimensional array of a plurality ofphotosensor elements arranged in at least 640 columns and 480 rows (atleast a 640×480 imaging array, such as a megapixel imaging array or thelike), with a respective lens focusing images onto respective portionsof the array. The photosensor array may comprise a plurality ofphotosensor elements arranged in a photosensor array having rows andcolumns. Preferably, the imaging array has at least 300,000 photosensorelements or pixels, more preferably at least 500,000 photosensorelements or pixels and more preferably at least 1 million photosensorelements or pixels. The imaging array may capture color image data, suchas via spectral filtering at the array, such as via an RGB (red, greenand blue) filter or via a red/red complement filter or such as via anRCC (red, clear, clear) filter or the like. The logic and controlcircuit of the imaging sensor may function in any known manner, and theimage processing and algorithmic processing may comprise any suitablemeans for processing the images and/or image data.

For example, the vision system and/or processing and/or camera and/orcircuitry may utilize aspects described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 9,233,641;9,146,898; 9,174,574; 9,090,234; 9,077,098; 8,818,042; 8,886,401;9,077,962; 9,068,390; 9,140,789; 9,092,986; 9,205,776; 8,917,169;8,694,224; 7,005,974; 5,760,962; 5,877,897; 5,796,094; 5,949,331;6,222,447; 6,302,545; 6,396,397; 6,498,620; 6,523,964; 6,611,202;6,201,642; 6,690,268; 6,717,610; 6,757,109; 6,802,617; 6,806,452;6,822,563; 6,891,563; 6,946,978; 7,859,565; 5,550,677; 5,670,935;6,636,258; 7,145,519; 7,161,616; 7,230,640; 7,248,283; 7,295,229;7,301,466; 7,592,928; 7,881,496; 7,720,580; 7,038,577; 6,882,287;5,929,786 and/or 5,786,772, and/or U.S. Publication Nos.US-2014-0340510; US-2014-0313339; US-2014-0347486; US-2014-0320658;US-2014-0336876; US-2014-0307095; US-2014-0327774; US-2014-0327772;US-2014-0320636; US-2014-0293057; US-2014-0309884; US-2014-0226012;US-2014-0293042; US-2014-0218535; US-2014-0218535; US-2014-0247354;US-2014-0247355; US-2014-0247352; US-2014-0232869; US-2014-0211009;US-2014-0160276; US-2014-0168437; US-2014-0168415; US-2014-0160291;US-2014-0152825; US-2014-0139676; US-2014-0138140; US-2014-0104426;US-2014-0098229; US-2014-0085472; US-2014-0067206; US-2014-0049646;US-2014-0052340; US-2014-0025240; US-2014-0028852; US-2014-005907;US-2013-0314503; US-2013-0298866; US-2013-0222593; US-2013-0300869;US-2013-0278769; US-2013-0258077; US-2013-0258077; US-2013-0242099;US-2013-0215271; US-2013-0141578 and/or US-2013-0002873, which are allhereby incorporated herein by reference in their entireties. The systemmay communicate with other communication systems via any suitable means,such as by utilizing aspects of the systems described in InternationalPublication Nos. WO 2010/144900; WO 2013/043661 and/or WO 2013/081985,and/or U.S. Pat. No. 9,126,525, which are hereby incorporated herein byreference in their entireties.

Changes and modifications in the specifically described embodiments canbe carried out without departing from the principles of the invention,which is intended to be limited only by the scope of the appendedclaims, as interpreted according to the principles of patent lawincluding the doctrine of equivalents.

The invention claimed is:
 1. A vehicular vision system, said vehicularvision system comprising: a camera disposed at a rear portion of avehicle equipped with said vehicular vision system and having a field ofview exterior and rearward of the equipped vehicle, said cameracapturing frames of image data as the equipped vehicle moves forward orrearward; a control comprising an image processor that processesmultiple frames of image data captured by said camera as the equippedvehicle moves forward or rearward; wherein said control utilizes vehiclemotion information of the equipped vehicle and wherein said control,responsive to processing at said image processor of image data capturedsolely by said camera as the equipped vehicle moves forward or rearward,generates, for each frame of a plurality of frames of image datacaptured by said camera, a left side bird's eye view image portion, aright side bird's eye view image portion and a rear bird's eye viewimage portion; wherein, to generate combined bird's eye view images,said control (i) combines left side bird's eye view image portions ofmultiple frames of image data captured solely by said camera as theequipped vehicle moves forward or rearward, (ii) combines right sidebird's eye view image portions of multiple frames of image data capturedsolely by said camera as the equipped vehicle moves forward or rearwardand (iii) combines rear bird's eye view image portions of multipleframes of image data captured solely by said camera as the equippedvehicle moves forward or rearward; and a display that displays thecombined bird's eye view images for viewing by a driver of the equippedvehicle as the equipped vehicle moves forward or rearward during aparking maneuver of the equipped vehicle.
 2. The vehicular vision systemof claim 1, wherein the combined bird's eye view images are generatedwithout stitching of image data.
 3. The vehicular vision system of claim1, wherein said camera comprises a rear backup camera of the equippedvehicle.
 4. A vehicular vision system said vehicular vision systemcomprising: a camera disposed at a rear portion of a vehicle equippedwith said vehicular vision system and having a field of view exteriorand rearward of the equipped vehicle, said camera capturing frames ofimage data as the equipped vehicle moves forward or rearward; a controlcomprising an image processor that processes multiple frames of imagedata captured by said camera as the equipped vehicle moves forward orrearward; wherein said control utilizes vehicle motion information ofthe equipped vehicle and wherein said control, responsive to processingat said image processor of image data captured by said camera as theequipped vehicle moves forward or rearward, generates, for each frame ofa plurality of frames of image data captured by said camera, a left sidebird's eye view image portion, a right side bird's eye view imageportion and a rear bird's eye view image portion; wherein said controlcombines left side bird's eye view image portions of multiple frames ofimage data captured by said camera as the equipped vehicle moves forwardor rearward, and wherein said control combines right side bird's eyeview image portions of multiple frames of image data captured by saidcamera as the equipped vehicle moves forward or rearward, and whereinsaid control combines rear bird's eye view image portions of multipleframes of image data captured by said camera as the equipped vehiclemoves forward or rearward, to generate combined bird's eye view images;wherein said control records video image data captured by said cameraand processes it as historical video data content for recreating leftside area content and right side area content as the equipped vehiclemoves forward or rearward; and a display that displays the combinedbird's eye view images for viewing by a driver of the equipped vehicleas the equipped vehicle moves forward or rearward during a parkingmaneuver of the equipped vehicle.
 5. The vehicular vision system ofclaim 1, wherein the vehicle motion information utilized by said controlcomprises speed of the equipped vehicle.
 6. The vehicular vision systemof claim 1, wherein the vehicle motion information utilized by saidcontrol comprises steering angle of the equipped vehicle.
 7. Thevehicular vision system of claim 1, wherein the vehicle motioninformation is provided to said control via a communication network ofthe equipped vehicle.
 8. The vehicular vision system of claim 1, whereinthe image data captured by said camera is provided to said control via acommunication network of the equipped vehicle.
 9. A vehicular visionsystem, said vehicular vision system comprising: a rear backup cameradisposed at a rear portion of a vehicle equipped with said vehicularvision system and having a field of view exterior and rearward of theequipped vehicle, said rear backup camera capturing frames of image dataat least as the equipped vehicle moves rearward; a control comprising animage processor that processes multiple frames of image data captured bysaid rear backup camera as the equipped vehicle moves rearward; whereinsaid control, responsive to processing at said image processor of imagedata captured by said rear backup camera as the equipped vehicle movesrearward, generates, for each frame of a plurality of frames of imagedata captured solely by said rear backup camera, a left side bird's eyeview image portion and a right side bird's eye view image portion;wherein said control combines the left side bird's eye view imageportions of multiple frames of image data captured solely by said rearbackup camera as the equipped vehicle moves rearward, and wherein saidcontrol combines the right side bird's eye view image portions ofmultiple frames of image data captured solely by said rear backup cameraas the equipped vehicle moves rearward; and a display that displays thecombined left side bird's eye view image portions and the combined rightside bird's eye view image portions for viewing by a driver of theequipped vehicle as the equipped vehicle moves rearward during a parkingmaneuver of the equipped vehicle.
 10. The vehicular vision system ofclaim 9, wherein the left side bird's eye view image portions and theright side bird's eye view image portions are generated withoutstitching of image data.
 11. A vehicular vision system, said vehicularvision system comprising: a rear backup camera disposed at a rearportion of a vehicle equipped with said vehicular vision system andhaving a field of view exterior and rearward of the equipped vehicle,said rear backup camera capturing frames of image data at least as theequipped vehicle moves rearward; a control comprising an image processorthat processes multiple frames of image data captured by said rearbackup camera as the equipped vehicle moves rearward; wherein saidcontrol, responsive to processing at said image processor of image datacaptured by said rear backup camera as the equipped vehicle movesrearward, generates, for each frame of a plurality of frames of imagedata captured by said rear backup camera, a left side bird's eye viewimage portion and a right side bird's eye view image portion; whereinsaid control combines left side bird's eye view image portions ofmultiple frames of image data captured by said rear backup camera as theequipped vehicle moves rearward, and wherein said control combines rightside bird's eye view image portions of multiple frames of image datacaptured by said rear backup camera as the equipped vehicle movesrearward; wherein said control records video image data captured by saidrear backup camera and processes it as historical video data content forrecreating left side area content and right side area content at leastas the equipped vehicle moves rearward; and a display that displays theleft side bird's eye view image portions and the right side bird's eyeview image portions for viewing by a driver of the equipped vehicle asthe equipped vehicle moves rearward during a parking maneuver of theequipped vehicle.
 12. The vehicular vision system of claim 9, whereinsaid control utilizes vehicle motion information of the equippedvehicle.
 13. The vehicular vision system of claim 12, wherein thevehicle motion information is provided to said control via acommunication network of the equipped vehicle.
 14. The vehicular visionsystem of claim 9, wherein the image data captured by said rear backupcamera is provided to said control via a communication network of theequipped vehicle.
 15. The vehicular vision system of claim 9, whereinsaid control combines rear bird's eye view image portions of multipleframes of image data captured by said rear backup camera as the equippedvehicle moves rearward, and wherein said display displays the rearbird's eye view image portions for viewing by the driver of the equippedvehicle as the equipped vehicle moves rearward during the parkingmaneuver of the equipped vehicle.
 16. A vehicular vision system, saidvehicular vision system comprising: a rear backup camera disposed at arear portion of a vehicle equipped with said vehicular vision system andhaving a field of view exterior and rearward of the equipped vehicle,said rear backup camera capturing frames of image data at least as theequipped vehicle moves rearward; a control comprising an image processorthat processes multiple frames of image data captured by said rearbackup camera as the equipped vehicle moves rearward; wherein saidcontrol, responsive to processing at said image processor of image datacaptured solely by said rear backup camera at least as the equippedvehicle moves rearward, generates, for each frame of a plurality offrames of image data captured by said rear backup camera, a left sideimage portion, a right side image portion and a rear image portion;wherein said control (i) combines left side image portions of multipleframes of image data captured by said rear backup camera as the equippedvehicle moves rearward, (ii) combines right side image portions ofmultiple frames of image data captured by said rear backup camera as theequipped vehicle moves rearward, and (iii) combines rear image portionsof multiple frames of image data captured by said rear backup camera asthe equipped vehicle moves rearward; wherein said control combines thecombined left side image portions, the combined right side imageportions and the combined rear image portions to generate bird's eyeview images of the area sideward and rearward of the equipped vehiclebased on frames of image data captured solely by said rear backupcamera; and a display that displays the generated bird's eye view imagesfor viewing by a driver of the equipped vehicle as the equipped vehiclemoves rearward during a parking maneuver of the equipped vehicle. 17.The vehicular vision system of claim 16, wherein the bird's eye viewimages are generated without stitching of image data.
 18. The vehicularvision system of claim 16, wherein said control utilizes vehicle motioninformation of the equipped vehicle, and wherein the vehicle motioninformation utilized by said control comprises information selected fromthe group consisting of (i) speed of the equipped vehicle and (ii)steering angle of the equipped vehicle.
 19. The vehicular vision systemof claim 18, wherein the vehicle motion information is provided to saidcontrol via a communication network of the equipped vehicle.
 20. Thevehicular vision system of claim 16, wherein the image data captured bysaid rear backup camera is provided to said control via a communicationnetwork of the equipped vehicle.